The Continent of Africa is surrounded by salt water. The Indian Ocean borders it on the east, and the Atlantic is on the west. These two oceans marry at the the southern tip of the Continent. 

 

Africa is a

vast (largest

behind Asia)

Continent

covering a

space of

over 30

million

km2 -

the size of

the US, China,

India,

Mexico, Peru,

France, Spain,

Papua New

Guinea,

Sweden,

Japan,

Germany,

Norway, Italy,

New Zealand,

the

UK,Nepal,

Bangladesh

and Greece

put together!

 

As one glances

most maps of

the world,

Africa looks

barely larger

than South

America, is

smaller than

North America and TINY compared to Asia. Well, Asia, as the largest Continent of the seven, warrants a large land mass illustration. Africa, should not, though, quiver at the mass of North America and hold it's own with South America and Europe.

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though North America follows Africa closely as the third largest Continent, South

America is almost HALF the size of Africa(so on a map of accurate reporting, Africa should look almost twice as BIG as South America). As for Europe, Africa is THREE times its land mass - not even near its equal!

 

Europe does comes close in population, holding about three quarters of Africa's one billion. With that said, Africa is home to twice the number of people as is North America and almost three times that of South America.

​

Interesting...

 

Now that you have WRAPPED your mind around the enormity of this Continent, try to grasp the meager numbers that began - the now - population explosion within Africa of a BILLION people! 

 

Who were these people?

 

We have briefly discussed the Sub Saharan people who developed largely independently. In spite of the the desert separating them from North Africa, due to the domestication of animals - oxen and camels - allowing for travel across the Sahara, trade was very successful.

 

As trade increased this lead to sharing of information and improved agricultural techniques which , of course, supported more sophisticated societies. These societies lead to the early civilizations.

 

Before continuing, let us remember that in spite of newly discovered evidence of ancient African civilizations, such as organized fishing expeditions (North Eastern (Zaire) Congo)taking place some 90,00 YEARS ago or evidence of arithmetic (near Lake Edward also Congo)25, 000 years old or evidence of Ancient Africans mummifying their dead,(South Western Lybia) 9,000 years ago - long before Egypt existed, ancient records of these civilizations were either destroyed (by rivals/ conquers), buried over the centuries, unreadable or stored away by households until the time they are discovered.

 

Imagine the challenge of records surviving 20, 000, 12, 000 even 3, 000 years. But, they are out there. Some of these evidence are on cave walls or ostrich eggs, as we have learned. Scientists are also, finally, realizing the value of oral history passed forward to the descendant. Stories that the ancients knew were crucial to their existence, that was/ is a ritual and system refined through cultural dance, song, and leaders of the community.

 

​

​

The Khoisan (with an origin dating back tens of thousands of years)are one such people of Southern Africa. They  are a people that share some specific physical and linguistic characteristics, divided into two cultural groups: the hunter gatherers known as the San people, or Bushmen,

and the livestock raising (aka

pastoral) people, Known as Khoi.

These are one of the oldest known

"families" in Africa linking ancient

to modern people.

 

Notice how their names make one.

​

​

These are our original people;

connection to our past,

answers to our future if we

dare look.

 

The Khoisan people resemble the

skeletal remains of the Sangoen,

who were the original occupiers

of Southern Africa.

 

The Sangoens was a presence dating

back to the Late Stone Age 

or Upper paleolithic, if you want

to be more scientific),  between

50,000 to 10, 000 years ago.

This period was that when humans

moved from simple to more complex thinking: demonstrating abstract thinking, establishing cultural foundations and religious beliefs, using large animal to their advantage, and creating advanced artwork and technological innovations (to name a few changes). But, most important to our modern evolution, was/is our rapid ability to adapt to our environment and/or situations (like when the weather changed, drying the Sahara, for example). These changes within our behaviour is known as "Behavioral Modernity." These abilities are how our species bypassed the Neanderthal.

​

In other words, we got smarter, more creative and thought/ planned for beyond the now.

​

Anyway,

the

Bushman

of the

Khoisan

people

originated

in South

Africa

spreading

North

through

neighbour

-ing

Botswana

up to

Namibia,

residing

in the

Kalahari.

Interestingly, the name "San" is considered derogatory, as it identifies our Bushmen relatives as "outsiders" per ethnic relatives... I guess how family members move to the city and are embarrassed by those who stayed home; you know, like the city cousin vs the country cousin - even though they are descendants of the same grandparents.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Here's the joke, one can run all one chooses: one can call another "outsider;" make fun of him/her; separate one self from "the other" all one wishes,(do any of those behaviours sound familiar (some US/British rhetoric) but one CANNOT escape the fact that we are of one family!

​

Or haven't you heard? The Bushmen have been considered a possible source for the female DNA lineage - the legendary Mitochondrial Eve - evidence of a lineage running along our female line, linking us all to the first female on the planet. ALL of us from one, first, mother! And like many indigenous people throughout our history, the Bushmen face their removal from their - OUR! - ancestral land and struggle for cultural survival.

​

Must we CONTINUE to make the same mistakes: de-valuing thus disrespecting our original people? BECAUSE WE ARE IGNORANT???

​